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It's all about accountability. When you think about it, that's the overriding concept behind the comprehensive immigration reform being trumpeted by President Bush and a majority of members of the U.S. Senate. And it's also a concept that the nation's chambers of commerce need to buy into for their own good, the good of the economy and the good of the country.

That's the message President Bush shared with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce yesterday as he continued to pound away at the idea that the current system is broken and comprehensive reform is the only solution.

Under the current system, there is very little accountability â€“ not for the workers who labor without proper documents, not for government agencies that should do a better job of protecting our border, and not for businesses that hire illegal immigrants with a wink and nod, confident that they'll never be caught or punished. That's de facto amnesty.

With comprehensive reform, everyone would have to abide by the rules and improve their behavior. The proposed solution isn't perfect but it's a huge step forward from what we have now, a system in which just about everyone is encouraged to cut corners.

The business community needs to understand this and make its voice heard in a constructive way. After all, this is not a constituency that is new to the immigration issue. In fact, it's on the front lines.

The old saying goes that the business of America is business, and these days, more than ever, doing business depends on having a large and ready supply of affordable labor. It would be great if it were always the case that our labor needs could be fulfilled within the borders of the United States. Unfortunately, there are still jobs that many Americans â€“ and especially young Americans â€“ aren't interested in doing.

And that's why so many businesses, particularly in agriculture, complain they have little choice but to turn to immigrant labor. What those businesses need most is a mechanism to allow them to know whether prospective employees are in the country legally and therefore eligible to work.

As President Bush made clear in his speech, the Senate plan provides that mechanism. For one thing, it requires that employers participate in something called the basic pilot program, an online verification system that allows employers to confirm the eligibility of new hires by matching their information against federal databases. The Senate plan also provides for what is perhaps the single most effective tool to combat illegal immigration: a tamper-proof identification card.

It has been a long battle, and it's not over yet. President Bush deserves a lot of credit for trying to achieve comprehensive immigration reform. The Senate deserves a lot of credit for putting together a thorough approach to a complicated problem. And they both deserve the strong and vocal support of the business community, which understands better than most the need for an immigration policy that is wise, compassionate, fair and workable.
____________Join BOINC Synergy!

Afghans grow angrier at West
By Jean MacKenzie; a journalist in Afghanistan who writes for The Institute for War & Peace Reporting, a nonprofit organization that trains journalists in areas of conflict.

June 2, 2006

KABUL, Afghanistan â€“ As Kabul residents begin repairing the damage caused by the worst violence in the city since the fall of the Taliban in 2001, questions remain about the angry response to a traffic accident involving an American military vehicle.

Why were the Afghan police unable to quell the widespread rioting that occurred on Monday? Why did it take the president several hours to respond to the mayhem in the streets? And most important, could it happen again?

Officials were still counting the dead and wounded from the violence. An official with the health ministry said at least 20 people had been killed and more than 100 injured. Ministry officials said they expected the casualty count to climb.

Meanwhile, an official with the interior ministry said 140 people had been arrested during the rioting. When he finally did make a public appearance on national television Monday evening, President Hamid Karzai promised that a full investigation would be conducted and the perpetrators brought to justice.

Meanwhile, the American Embassy here issued a statement regretting the loss of life and promising to compensate those involved in the initial traffic accident. But as relative peace returned to the capital, many were searching for the cause behind the violent outburst of anti-government and anti-Western sentiment.

While most Kabul residents acknowledge that their lives have improved since the fundamentalist regime was toppled by an American-led bombing campaign in 2001, many also say they are increasingly frustrated by what they see as the excruciatingly slow pace of change.

And after nearly five years, many throughout the country are becoming increasingly restive about what they consider a foreign â€œoccupation,â€ which is threatening their national culture and way of life.

Local residents say Monday's crash, in which a military truck lost its brakes while descending a steep hill before crashing into 12 civilian cars, was hardly an isolated example of what they see as Westerns' cavalier attitudes toward Afghan lives. That might help explain why most Afghans are reluctant to believe the U.S. military's explanation of the accident.

Nearly every driver can tell of a run-in with a foreign military vehicle. Taxi driver Zalmai Khan, 29, collided with a coalition vehicle about a month ago. He said he was dropping off passengers when the vehicle sideswiped him before speeding off. The incident left him with a steep repair bill and a sense of bitterness toward the foreigners.

â€œIf American oppression of ordinary people continues this way, we will all have to join the Taliban again to get rid of them,â€ he said.

Noor Agha, 43, said a vehicle belonging to the International Security Assistance Force, the NATO-led peacekeepers that are a separate force from the coalition, struck his car. When he reported the accident to local traffic police, they advised him to repair his car himself rather than get into a dispute with the foreign military.

â€œI swear to God, if I'd had a gun at the time, I wouldn't have left a single one of those Americans alive,â€ he said.

Others agree that they have become increasingly outraged by the behavior of the Western troops in their country.

â€œI have personally witnessed these things over the past year,â€ said Abdul Razaq Momun, a political analyst and news editor for Afghanistan's popular Tolo TV. â€œCoalition and ISAF troops go wherever they want. They display their power, break the law and hit people. That is very bad for Afghans' sense of honor. People may not show their reaction immediately; it may be six months, a year, or three years, but they will definitely react.â€

Even Afghans who were willing to put up with the presence of foreign troops in their country as the price to be paid for security and economic progress are now beginning to feel cheated as only the elite seem to be benefiting from the West's largess while violence is increasing in the southern part of the country.

â€œYesterday's incident started with a traffic accident, that's true,â€ said Momun. â€œBut it opened the door for people to show their resentment toward the government. Many people are unemployed; many have been sacked from the government or have gone through the disarmament process.

â€œThe government has not been able to bring changes to people's lives over the past four years, and this has sparked popular anger,â€ he said.

Meanwhile, the inability of the police to put down the riots raised serious question about their capability to provide security in the capital.

â€œThe police are not to be trusted,â€ said Momun. â€œThey are not well-trained and they don't have proper equipment. They just have guns. When they face a crisis, all they can do is fire on the crowd or runaway.â€

Karim Rahimi, spokesman for the presidential administration, said that an investigation will be launched into the police behavior. Almost all agree that Monday's riots do not bode well for the future of the government or its Western supporters.

â€œThis was a big challenge to the government and the coalition,â€ said political analyst Fazel Rahman Oria. â€œThe Americans are sitting on a bomb. And the bomb could explode at any moment.â€
____________Join BOINC Synergy!

And after nearly five years, many throughout the country are becoming increasingly restive about what they consider a foreign â€œoccupation,â€ which is threatening their national culture and way of life.

Notice to the U.S. -> "Not everyone wants to be like you"

[Mother Earth - Sigh... thank goodness]

[United States National Security sure has a 'high price' doesn't it?
____________ Belief gets in the way of learning

Since it keeps getting deleted I guess I'll just have to keep posting it. I mean, God forbid we point fingers at a hypocrite, right?

I wonder how many Nazi's were punished by Germany for their war crimes?

You know, I just can't understand why someone with admin/mod powers wouldn't want me to ask the exact same question to Saengar that he keeps asking of us.....

....other than the same old sad SETI story of allowing veteran users do as they please with protection and impunity.

Thats not fair.....

It's not only unfair, it's far from the truth. (I get it right, this is the text of Brainmushers filtered post?)

I know, many nazis were treated quite lenient by the winners, as for example the americans needed and used them for ther fight against the reds, or they employed them to build their rockets (Wernher von Braun build his rockets in Germany with the "help" of thousand deaths in his concentation camp Mittelbau Dora). And as most of the judges stayed in power, they didn't do much agains each other. It changed in the 60s, as the sons and daughters began to start questioning their parents. And of course there are some Calleys running around here as well free, but several thousand got punishment (only guessing).

If you want more precise numbers, ask the Simon-Wiesenthal-Center, they probably know.

Edit out an "artefact"
____________Gruesse vom Saenger
For questions about Boinc look in the BOINC-Wiki

Since it keeps getting deleted I guess I'll just have to keep posting it. I mean, God forbid we point fingers at a hypocrite, right?

I wonder how many Nazi's were punished by Germany for their war crimes?

You know, I just can't understand why someone with admin/mod powers wouldn't want me to ask the exact same question to Saengar that he keeps asking of us.....

....other than the same old sad SETI story of allowing veteran users do as they please with protection and impunity.

Thats not fair.....

It's not only unfair, it's far from the truth. (I get it right, this is the text of Brainmushers filtered post?)

I know, many nazis were treated quite lenient by the winners, as for example the americans needed and used them for ther fight against the reds, or they employed them to build their rockets (Wernher von Braun build his rockets in Germany with the "help" of thousand deaths in his concentation camp Mittelbau Dora). And as most of the judges stayed in power, they didn't do much agains each other. It changed in the 60s, as the sons and daughters began to start questioning their parents. And of course there are some Calleys running around here as well free, but several thousand got punishment (only guessing).

If you want more precise numbers, ask the Simon-Wiesenthal-Center, they probably know.

Edit out an "artefact"

Saenger,

I would suggest staying away from history in this thread...... it appears to have no relevance (according to some of the more active participants here) when considering government actions and motives today.

A sure way to justify 'seemingly sound decisions' today is to have no balanced record of the past.

Oh, and it would seem that certain people in question have only studied history from a single source, with a single sided view. Almost as good as 'no history' IMO.
____________ Belief gets in the way of learning

I know, many nazis were treated quite lenient by the winners, as for example the americans needed and used them for ther fight against the reds, or they employed them to build their rockets (Wernher von Braun build his rockets in Germany with the "help" of thousand deaths in his concentation camp Mittelbau Dora). And as most of the judges stayed in power, they didn't do much agains each other. It changed in the 60s, as the sons and daughters began to start questioning their parents. And of course there are some Calleys running around here as well free, but several thousand got punishment (only guessing).

If you want more precise numbers, ask the Simon-Wiesenthal-Center, they probably know.

Edit out an "artefact"

LAF

I ask how many Nazi's were punished by GERMANY for THEIR war crimes and your response is to blame America.

Better to duck, dodge and ignore users who ask controversial questions than accept the truth.

....and they wonder why some Americans don't have respect for some foreigners.
____________

I would suggest staying away from history in this thread...... it appears to have no relevance (according to some of the more active participants here) when considering government actions and motives today.

A sure way to justify 'seemingly sound decisions' today is to have no balanced record of the past.

Oh, and it would seem that certain people in question have only studied history from a single source, with a single sided view. Almost as good as 'no history' IMO.

Seems to me I remember you stating on another thread that most of the books you read were written by American authors. Funny how "one sided history" is perfectly acceptable when it supports your opinion, but "as good as no history" when you disagree.

....and they wonder why some Americans don't have respect for some foreigners.
____________

Is it unfair for me to question the actions of his government where their military is concerned, just like he is doing to us, or is it unfair that I had to post the question 3 times before someone stopped removing it without warning or notification as to why it was removed?

I'm hoping it's the latter because I certainly don't see how asking the exact same question could be considered unfair, offensive, flame baiting or trolling by one user and not by another.
____________

I'm hoping it's the latter because I certainly don't see how asking the exact same question could be considered unfair, offensive, flame baiting or trolling by one user and not by another.

BrainsmasheR, If you look at your post history in the last 7 days you have had only 3 posts that were modded, only one with that question and I didn't mod that one. Weather I agree with the question or not it's a fair question.
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